I'm Excited

[lobo]

Yessir I'm excited about the Cards and the upcoming 5-11 season.

[/quote]


I am a bit confused, why would this make you excited?? Do you feel well?

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

7-9

 

[AzStevenCal]

Great post! I agree wholeheartedly. This is an all-around better team than last year's edition. I absolutely loved the contributions Warner made to this team from 2007 on, but.............he physically was at about 70% last year & it limited our ability to be as explosive as we could have been. Bottom line, Anderson does not need to be great for this team to win 10-11 games. He certainly will have erratic games, but not as frequently as some on this board think. He will add enough big plays to offset sny inconsistencies. Let's not forget that Warner had a few stinkers last year also. Defense will be much better, offense will be more explosive & Whiz will continue to outcoach the competition. Count me in as very optimistic.

Count me in as hopeful but not yet very optimistic. If you're right that our defense will be much better than I think we're looking at a very good year. However, there have been enough changes on what was a disappointing defense already that I find it difficult to make the leap to "much better.

Without Boldin, with an already struggling run game and with an all or nothing QB we could be looking at a very overworked defense game in, game out. Even if they are improved, are they good enough to survive a significant time of possession deficit? I think the OP was overly pessimistic but I see plenty of reason for concern as we start this season. Until they ram it down my throat I'll never lose hope for this team but a 7 or 8 win season would not shock me.

Steve

 

[bg7brd]

Looking at our schedule I can see us going 10-6. I think we will start slow and finish big.

 

[Duckjake]

Just an eclipse DJ-----just an eclipse!!!!!

Let's hope it works. I already feel bad about messing up Beanie by bragging about him so much last month.

 

[Derm]

Most of you got it wrong - it's DJ's reverse voodoo, boys.

 

[CardLogic]

Does anyone still have their ASFN t-shirt from like... 2003?

Still wear it occasionally.


And Duckjake's not really a bad guy, he's just misunderstood!

 

[MrYeahBut]

Does anyone still have their ASFN t-shirt from like... 2003?

I still have my old black Tillman t-shirt someone on the board made back in '04, I think. Proudly wear it and my wife still has her white one.

Can't remember the guy who had those made up..if anyone remembers, I'd like to know.

 

[kerouac9]

Just playing Devil's advocate a little here...

Just an absurd post, as evidenced by the fact that you fail to even mention:

DRC & Kerry Rhodes: Whoops, you forgot to mention the best cornerback in the league without an island named after him (yet) and the second half of an absolutely absurd safety tandem alongside your "Old Man" - a 30 year old I'd take over just about any other player in the league at his position.

Steve Breaston and Early Doucet: Wait a minute, what team was that again with a better trio of receivers? Look for another season with three WRs over 1,000 yards.

Timmy Hightower: Oh you're right, I hate it when guys outperform their contract and challenge first rounders for the starting job.

Calais Campbell and Dan Williams: Hahaha...again, name a team in the league with a better front three? My over/under sack total from just DD, CC and DDub alone is 20, with Campbell pulling in 11+. Was I the only one watching this pre-season?

Darryl Washington - In a word, "special" - who was it that you were looking for us to take with the 47th pick?

Ben Graham and LSH - Oh I'm sorry, I forgot that Pro Bowl talent on special teams doesn't count either. My bad...

Now I'm not even going to get into Stephen Williams, Max Hall or even intangibles like "coaching" or "leadership" - let's just stick to the facts. If our former Pro Bowl QB can take the vote of confidence our organization just shot him up with, shake off the rust and return to form just like another former Pro Bowl QB did for us two years ago, we go 12-4, win the NFC West and make another run at the Super Bowl. If he stumbles early and gets replaced by our Utah-hating QB of the future, we go 10-6, win the NFC West and make another run at the Super Bowl.

Call me a Kool Aid drinker, call me a fan whose feet have left the ground, but I think this team has the potential to be even better than it was in the past two seasons and I have yet to see anybody I think we can't take when we play our game. All of the Debbie Downers on this board need to take a minute to survey the rest of the league, run through our final 53 and ask themselves "Who is it again that is better than this team?" I haven't found 'em yet, and I don't think you will either. In the words of John Lennon, "You may say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not." I'm not...

Let's go Cardinals!

Kerry Rhodes' kryptonite is second-string blocking tight ends. DRC's is tackling anyone.

I'll name you eight teams with a better receiving trio: Cincy, Dallas, Indy, the Jets, the Giants, Green Bay, New Orleans, and Philly. Anquan Boldin's gone. I'm an Early Doucet fan--a big fan and have been defending him for three seasons--but let's not pretend that we still have Fitz, Boldin, and Breaston. Breaston is a slightly above-average #2 and no one knows what we have in Doucet outside of a couple games.

The Jets, Cowboys and the Ravens both have a better front three than the Cards do right now; you have no idea what we have in Dan Williams. There might not be a better group of pass rushers in a 3-4 defensive line, but all purpose I'll go with those other guys.

Daryl Washington - "Special" ed? "Special" olympics? Just kidding. I think he'll be good and in the running for DROY honors, but he gets engulfed in the running game, and if the Cards get behind, I think it'll be hard for the offense go get back on the field and score points.

The sad fact of the matter is that the game--especially on offense--is won at the line of scrimmage, and I don't think we have the horses to run with the top teams. We may compete in the NFC West (where it's possible 8-8 will win the division), but it's hard to see Derek Anderson competing in a shootout with the likes of Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees in January when the offensive line was embarrassing versus the Redskins' #3s last week.

EDIT: DJ's put up an amazing reverse-jinx thread here.

 

[Treefiddy]

Most of you got it wrong - it's DJ's reverse voodoo, boys.

Yeah, was surprised so many people didn't catch that.

Thanks for taking one for the team DJ.

 

[Duckjake]

Duckjake, Buckybird? Let's see, what else rhymes? Nevermind, but the coincidence that you are both in Texas does explain a lot.
Your pessimism is way overdone. Our ILBs are Mutt and Jeff? Maybe you haven't paid attention to this years #2 pick, you should. You might think Clark and Joey are too old to play OLB but there aren't many QBs in the league that will talk trash to them. While you're at it, take a shot at AW, unbelievable.

Hey, I know, Matt's in Houston and that's in Texas. Why don't you root for them while complaining about how bad they are.

Duck, Buck, we're hunters. We don't have any of those pansy Californians running things here. If you got 'em shoot 'em. Always better to be the hunter than the hunted.

Of course my post was my annual anti-curse. But I'm not as enamored of Adrian Wilson as most people. I think he is a huge hole in our pass defense and has been for years.

Of course he was hurt in '07 and his decline in performance in 2008 and somewhat in 2009 may be attributable to that. He did seem to play somewhat better the latter half of '09 but that play against Shockey was just shocking. So I'll wait and see how he looks this season.

 

[Carddan]

Duck, Buck, we're hunters. We don't have any of those pansy Californians running things here. If you got 'em shoot 'em. Always better to be the hunter than the hunted.

Of course my post was my annual anti-curse. But I'm not as enamored of Adrian Wilson as most people. I think he is a huge hole in our pass defense and has been for years.

Of course he was hurt in '07 and his decline in performance in 2008 and somewhat in 2009 may be attributable to that. He did seem to play somewhat better the latter half of '09 but that play against Shockey was just shocking. So I'll wait and see how he looks this season.

I went overboard, but I know you can take it. Same with Bucky. No matter what you expect, remember to hope for better. That's the attitude that got me to a Super Bowl two year ago.

 

[Duckjake]

I went overboard, but I know you can take it. Same with Bucky. No matter what you expect, remember to hope for better. That's the attitude that got me to a Super Bowl two year ago.

You know I've been raised to not believe in jinxes or curses but after going on in my debate with K9 about how great I thought Beanie was and then BW has a less than stellar pre season and gets hurt twice I have to wonder.

 

[Duckjake]

OK how many of you have had this experience over your lifetime as a Cardinal fan? I swear for years I'd watch the Cards on TV and they would do nothing. Then as soon as I left the room to go get an adult beverage or refill the chip bowl the Cards would score or have a big play. I think I went 4-5 years without ever seeing the Cards score live. Had to see them all on the replay.

My older son used to tell me to leave the room if the game was close and the Cards had the ball needing a score to tie or win.

 

[slanidrac16]

I knew this was a Duckjake anti-curse as soon as I read it.

But don't be fooled. DJ knows football and will not sugar coat anything. He calls it like he see's it and some of the "anti-curse" thread has some merit.

Anybody outside the Cardinal Camp (and some inside) can shoot holes in this current roster. We are dangerously thin at LB and , let's face it, do we really know what to expect from Derek Anderson?

And for the record , I love Adrian Wilson when he is coming forward. He is not the greatest coverage guy in the league.

 

[Buckybird]

OK how many of you have had this experience over your lifetime as a Cardinal fan? I swear for years I'd watch the Cards on TV and they would do nothing. Then as soon as I left the room to go get an adult beverage or refill the chip bowl the Cards would score or have a big play. I think I went 4-5 years without ever seeing the Cards score live. Had to see them all on the replay.

My older son used to tell me to leave the room if the game was close and the Cards had the ball needing a score to tie or win.

Shhhhhhhhhh, don't tell our secrets Duck.

 

[Buckybird]

I went overboard, but I know you can take it. Same with Bucky. No matter what you expect, remember to hope for better. That's the attitude that got me to a Super Bowl two year ago.

Dan, you're cool man!!! I took no offense to your comments. I still have doubts about the Oline, QB & our ability to stop high powered passing games because of whats behind our starting 4 in the defensive backfield. I hope they prove me wrong...again!!!

 

[football karma]

I'll name you eight teams with a better receiving trio: Cincy, Dallas, Indy, the Jets, the Giants, Green Bay, New Orleans, and Philly.

I know he has been hurt, but Larry Fitzgerald is still on the Cardinals.

Dallas? Miles Austin and a rookie (and ummm, Roy Williams). I think the Cards starters are better.

Jets? Cotchery and B. Edwards / Clowney. Would you trade the Cardinals starting three straight up for those three?

Giants? Hakeem Nicks, Steve Smith and Ramsey Barden. That isn't better.

Eagles. Hmmm. DeSean Jackson and Fitz are a wash, although completely different players. Maclin and Breaston had identical stats last year. I dont think its clear cut who is better here.

Cincy. Tough to say -- both Ocho and TO are getting up there in age.

 

[kerouac9]

I know he has been hurt, but Larry Fitzgerald is still on the Cardinals.

Dallas? Miles Austin and a rookie (and ummm, Roy Williams). I think the Cards starters are better.

Jets? Cotchery and B. Edwards / Clowney. Would you trade the Cardinals starting three straight up for those three?

Giants? Hakeem Nicks, Steve Smith and Ramsey Barden. That isn't better.

Eagles. Hmmm. DeSean Jackson and Fitz are a wash, although completely different players. Maclin and Breaston had identical stats last year. I dont think its clear cut who is better here.

Cincy. Tough to say -- both Ocho and TO are getting up there in age.

You said trio. Is Dez Bryant already better than Early Doucet? Is Roy Williams better than Steve Breaston? It's not even close.

The Jets will run out Edwards, Santonio Holmes, and Cotchery come Week 5. You wouldn't trade our three for theirs? Santonio Holmes is a Super Bowl MVP.

Steve Smith is good. Hakeem Nicks is a bigger playmaker than Steve Breaston. Ramsey Barden has more upside than Early Doucet. That one's close, but I like their trio a little more.

It's funny how you left Jason Avant off your list when discussing the Eagles. He's way, way, WAY better than Early Doucet has shown himself to be.

In Cincy, I like T.O. more than Breaston as a #2, and I like Jordan Shipley more than Early Doucet.

I'm going by the criteria that you laid out there. If you want to look at the Top 3 guys on these teams, the Cards don't stand out the way they did a year ago. Fitz is AWESOME and one of the top 2 WRs in the NFL, but Breaston is pretty ordinary and Doucet is a wild card right now. He could catch 60 passes for 800 yards and 6 TDs, or he could catch 15 passes and be inactive for 12 games.

 

[ajcardfan]

I still have my old black Tillman t-shirt someone on the board made back in '04, I think. Proudly wear it and my wife still has her white one.

Same here. I'm NEVER getting rid of mine. That's irreplacable.

 

[thirty-two]

Same here. I'm NEVER getting rid of mine. That's irreplacable.

I still have that one, too. Love it.

 

[JeffGollin]

Hey mods - Would it be possible for you to set up a special thread titled "Darkside Hall of Fame" - with DuckJake's rant the first post?

Then - if and when the Cardinals unexpectedly win a game or reach an unexpected W & L plateau or one of the players he rips does something really cool, we can all point to comments on the thread and laugh our asses off.

 

[football karma]

K9: seriously -- you would trade the Cardinals three for the Giants three, straight up and feel like you got a good deal? Thats insane.

I think when you look at trios, I do think you have to take into account how much better Fitz is versus the comparable #1.

I also think you significantly undervalue Steve Breaston, who as the third option has produced 1,000 and 850 yards the past two years. Right there with Roy Williams (who was a #2) with 10x the toughness, or a Maclin, or a Cotchery

Finally -- rookie wide outs historically don't produce. Dez Bryant or Shipley may have more long term potential, but the odds are their numbers this year will be pretty underwhelming.

 

[kerouac9]

K9: seriously -- you would trade the Cardinals three for the Giants three, straight up and feel like you got a good deal? Thats insane.

I think when you look at trios, I do think you have to take into account how much better Fitz is versus the comparable #1.

I also think you significantly undervalue Steve Breaston, who as the third option has produced 1,000 and 850 yards the past two years. Right there with Roy Williams (who was a #2) with 10x the toughness, or a Maclin, or a Cotchery

Finally -- rookie wide outs historically don't produce. Dez Bryant or Shipley may have more long term potential, but the odds are their numbers this year will be pretty underwhelming.

Would I trade the Giants straight up? Yes. Because the savings that you'd get for 80% of the production would be worth it. Especially if we're going to a more run-oriented offense. You know that the Giants had a better passing offense than the Cards did last season, don't you? Do you think that's because Warner was a stiff or because the top 3 WRs in Jersey were?

There are lots of good #1 WRs out there. I'll take Miles Austin and $8 million less per season in salary over Larry Fitzgerald. It'll hurt me maybe 5% over the course of the season, but I cam make the rest of my team better with the savings.

Breaston started 9 games in 2008. Let's not pretend that he's Jason Avant. He's a solid #2 WR who put up some good stats on a team that passed all the time because their QB was hot and their RBs were not.

Do you think that Bryant or Shipley will have worse numbers than Early Doucet? Because Doucet has played in 6 games? Will Doucet even be healthy to begin the season?

I know that you're a great fan of the team, but I don't think you watch enough of the rest of the NFL to know what you're talking about here...

 

[Duckjake]

Would I trade the Giants straight up? Yes. Because the savings that you'd get for 80% of the production would be worth it. Especially if we're going to a more run-oriented offense. You know that the Giants had a better passing offense than the Cards did last season, don't you? Do you think that's because Warner was a stiff or because the top 3 WRs in Jersey were?

There are lots of good #1 WRs out there. I'll take Miles Austin and $8 million less per season in salary over Larry Fitzgerald. It'll hurt me maybe 5% over the course of the season, but I cam make the rest of my team better with the savings.

Breaston started 9 games in 2008. Let's not pretend that he's Jason Avant. He's a solid #2 WR who put up some good stats on a team that passed all the time because their QB was hot and their RBs were not.

Do you think that Bryant or Shipley will have worse numbers than Early Doucet? Because Doucet has played in 6 games? Will Doucet even be healthy to begin the season?

I know that you're a great fan of the team, but I don't think you watch enough of the rest of the NFL to know what you're talking about here...

In looking at this I saw that the Cards had almost 100 receptions by their backs last season. I knew TH had several catches but didn't realize it was 63.